How long before you saw an improvement?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Stressedcatmom

Stressedcatmom

Member Since 2017
Hi guys,

Yoshi is on 2 units 2x per day. He was diagnosed almost a week ago. Part of the reason I brought him in was that his back legs were unstable. He seemed to be doing well, and started walking on his toes instead of the heels. Hes active in the am before I give him his shot. Well, not super active, but on the bed and meowing and being semi normal. After I give him the shot hes a little tired.

He's been moving a bit slower yesterday and today.

The vet has him scheduled to come in in 2 weeks to check his levels. I'm not home testing yet. Was going to after the vet.

I guess I'm asking how long before you saw a steady improvement? Do they kind of show down a bit after the insulin kicks in?
 
Honestly, most of the improvement I saw was in the numbers. My cat didn't have the weakened legs, but it sounds like you're already seeing the improvement there. Gypsy didn't have a lot of physical symptoms (other than a UTI) so what I looked for in her was to see what her BG levels were to see if she was getting better or not.

I'm not sure what the moving slower is about. I think once you start home testing, it'll be easier to see what's going on. It's possible the insulin is bringing him down pretty low and making him feel lethargic. I know you want to start home testing after the vet, but the sooner you start the better. That way, he won't be going super low for 2 weeks (if that's even what is happening).
 
Hi Rachel,

Thank you. I am thinking of monitoring sooner, but I see there are so many meters available. I'm overwhelmed again. Yoshi is not a fan of his ears being touched, so I need something quick that doesn't take a lot of blood and hopefully no scary sounds.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

I want to cry again :(
 
:bighug:
You can work on doing some desensitization exercises with him, we can help explain. Popular meter choice is a human meter by Walmart, ReliOn Confirm or Micro. The pet meter, AlphaTrak 2 might take a little smaller sample but the test strips are about $1 each. They have options to turn off the beeps too.

Maury's walking was the trigger for me to get him checked as well. Unfortunately, he still is walking on his hocks more than I had hoped by now. Only see minor improvements. Even his front paws are still full contact with the ground, not on his toes yet.

I do wonder about the lethargic state, especially with him being on 2U and not being home tested. I hope he's not going too low. Like Rachel said.
 
No, no, don't cry!!!! I don't want to be cause of that. The relion does take a small sample of blood. It's not very much at all. And no scary sounds!

My suggestion: research meters some and go buy one and the lancets and strips. Then come home and learn to test by testing yourself. Work on those desensitization exercises with Yoshi. And when you go to the vet, ask them to show you how they test. That might help some.
 
Rachel said:
No, no, don't cry!!!! I don't want to be cause of that. The relion does take a small sample of blood. It's not very much at all. And no scary sounds!

My suggestion: research meters some and go buy one and the lancets and strips. Then come home and learn to test by testing yourself. Work on those desensitization exercises with Yoshi. And when you go to the vet, ask them to show you how they test. That might help some.
Click to expand...


No, you weren't the cause. I'm just overwhelmed with all the options, and probably still getting used to his diagnosis.
 
One step at a time then. How about focus on what meter you want to get first? No worry about testing or anything else..just getting the meter so you have it when you're ready. Some folks use the AT2 from their vet...the strips are more expensive, and a human meter works just as well, but if you prefer that one, that's fine.

I used the relion confirm from WalMart. Some people prefer the micro because I think it takes a little less blood. Good options with cheap strips (and always open when you need more!). You could look into those different options OR go by a pharmacy or walmart...and ask a pharmacist about it. They should be able to talk you through the pros and cons of any of them. :)
 
I actually think the Micro is just a smaller meter. The test strip box always says Confirm/Micro. New member, Lucy, posted this chart:
capture-jpg.27119
 
Stressedcatmom said:
I'm just overwhelmed with all the options, and probably still getting used to his diagnosis.
Click to expand...

Frank is newly diagnosed as well. He's not a friendly guy, but I've cut his treats completely out, so now the only way he gets a "treat" (which is really just the glycobalance dry food) is when we're testing at home. It wasn't difficult for me at all. I put him on the floor and kind of straddle him, prick his ear (no scary noise with the Relion lancet), make sure there's a decent drop of blood, insert the test strip into the Relion Prime, and test. The whole process takes about 60 seconds, honestly. It's so easy! I feel so much more in control of what's going on now, since I can see his progress at intervals during the day. The bit of control really helped me come to terms with the diagnosis, and gave me confidence that it is absolutely something that I can and will handle for him. I was even able to guess he'd be in the 400s at his visit today (which he was) and kind of thought they'd increase his dose (which they are).

As for the meter, the options are overwhelming, so like Rachel said above, just pick one. Look at the meter cost and the test strip costs, and that will help you go in the right direction. (I'm new to this testing thing, but probably go through about 4-8 strips a day, so consider that when you price the cost out.) If you're unsure on home testing, practice on yourself first, and you'll see how easy it is. Or get the meter and take it in to the vet with you next time you go, and have them show you how to use it.

My vet had me back today (diagnosis was last Wednesday)...I'm surprised yours is waiting that long. I had immediate noticeable improvement with Frank, but he was also in the middle of a DKA episode when I took him in, so that could explain the immediate improvement. But regardless, good luck with kitty. The amount of info is overwhelming, so just focus on one thing at a time!
 
Stressedcatmom said:
After I give him the shot hes a little tired
Click to expand...
I noticed that Jones slept a lot in the beginning after his food and shot. He had moments of being Jonesy but then he just would curl up and sleep. He had other medical issues and extreme weight loss to start with and I was really upset. In the end, he is better - he is gaining weight, eating well, comes for cuddles and.....sleeps. I think sometimes they need that down time for their body to repair and take in that energy that their body has been starved of for so long. Just like when you have a cold. I found the less I worried...just came and gave a quick check and a pet or two, the better I felt because I could confirm he was fine and he felt better as he could continue his nap in the sun by the window.
 
Yong said:
:bighug:
You can work on doing some desensitization exercises with him, we can help explain. Popular meter choice is a human meter by Walmart, ReliOn Confirm or Micro. The pet meter, AlphaTrak 2 might take a little smaller sample but the test strips are about $1 each. They have options to turn off the beeps too.

Maury's walking was the trigger for me to get him checked as well. Unfortunately, he still is walking on his hocks more than I had hoped by now. Only see minor improvements. Even his front paws are still full contact with the ground, not on his toes yet.

I do wonder about the lethargic state, especially with him being on 2U and not being home tested. I hope he's not going too low. Like Rachel said.
Click to expand...

I have a call into the vet. I'm thinking of running to Walmart to get a kit but still researching which is best - less blood no sounds
 
He was running really high at the vet last week. Like 575. She took the average of fluctoseamine or whatever and said that he was averaging 600s. So I can't imagine him being low although I'm not feeding as much pee the vet. They are trying to get him to lose 2 pounds
 
I use the AlphaTrak II pet meter and really like it. It's fast and takes the tiniest blood size and I like that I'm getting the same readings as the vet... it's the same one they use. The downside is the cost of the strips at about a dollar each. (I get them on adwdiabetes.com with a $5 off coupon code and it comes to $48 for 50.) It can add up when you do 4-8 tests a day. Before she went into remission I was spending $150/month on test strips... HOWEVER, once I started testing I no longer had to bring my cat to the vet for anything, so I figured it was a wash as I would easily spend that on doing a monthly curve at the vet. You can turn off the sounds, and I always poke the lancet by hand rather than use a device. Most cats don't like the device. You can buy a starter kit on amazon for a decent price, but you'll need more strips than the 20 or so that come with it.

That being said, if cost were a big issue for me I would have instead gotten the Relion Micro... again for it's small required blood sample and relatively inexpensive strips. the downside being the readings weren't the same as my vet as human readers are configured for human blood and therefore run significantly lower than pet meters, esp. at higher numbers.

whichever meter you get, make sure you buy 28 gauge lancets. the size 30 are way too tiny to get a blood sample esp. in the beginning. I buy ones from adwdiabetes.com that come 100 for $1.19. Can't beat that price.
 
Thank you. You can only get the alpha track at the vet, I assume? Or online? I don't really want to wait. I got home and he was kind of weak and starving so I gave him some wet food
 
To answer your original question... I started seeing improvements within about two weeks or so, but then after another few weeks she started to decline in energy and grooming again. At the time I wasn't testing. I called my vet and she suggested I up her dose to 2 units. i was nervous about doing that blind, so six weeks into diagnosis I finally started testing. I wish I had started from day one. It took about 10 days to really get the hang of testing... it was frustrating in the beginning, but so so so worth it. I know I wouldn't have been able to get her numbers down as quickly as she did had I not been testing.
 
JanetNJ said:
If you have amazon prime you can get a starter kit same day. https://www.amazon.com/AlphaTRAK-Blood-Glucose-Monitoring-System/dp/B007Z0XULY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1490308862&sr=8-1&keywords=alphatrak 2 blood glucose monitoring system kit
Click to expand...

I just ordered it. I'm getting it tomo. I couldnt get it same day. He seems less freaked out after he ate. Waiting for vet to see if I should give him his evening shot or not.

Thank you to everyone who responded to this thread. I'm really scared to home test, and I wanted to wait for the vet, but I don't want to be in a constant state of panic not home testing until I see the vet in 2 weeks.
 
JanetNJ said:
To answer your original question... I started seeing improvements within about two weeks or so, but then after another few weeks she started to decline in energy and grooming again. At the time I wasn't testing. I called my vet and she suggested I up her dose to 2 units. i was nervous about doing that blind, so six weeks into diagnosis I finally started testing. I wish I had started from day one. It took about 10 days to really get the hang of testing... it was frustrating in the beginning, but so so so worth it. I know I wouldn't have been able to get her numbers down as quickly as she did had I not been testing.
Click to expand...

Thank you. I just ordered the meter. I absolutely loathe the idea of testing him, but I can't be in a constant state of panic not knowing how he's doing. Now I know why you all home test.
 
JanetNJ said:
I use the AlphaTrak II pet meter and really like it. It's fast and takes the tiniest blood size and I like that I'm getting the same readings as the vet... it's the same one they use. The downside is the cost of the strips at about a dollar each. (I get them on adwdiabetes.com with a $5 off coupon code and it comes to $48 for 50.) It can add up when you do 4-8 tests a day. Before she went into remission I was spending $150/month on test strips... HOWEVER, once I started testing I no longer had to bring my cat to the vet for anything, so I figured it was a wash as I would easily spend that on doing a monthly curve at the vet. You can turn off the sounds, and I always poke the lancet by hand rather than use a device. Most cats don't like the device. You can buy a starter kit on amazon for a decent price, but you'll need more strips than the 20 or so that come with it.

That being said, if cost were a big issue for me I would have instead gotten the Relion Micro... again for it's small required blood sample and relatively inexpensive strips. the downside being the readings weren't the same as my vet as human readers are configured for human blood and therefore run significantly lower than pet meters, esp. at higher numbers.

whichever meter you get, make sure you buy 28 gauge lancets. the size 30 are way too tiny to get a blood sample esp. in the beginning. I buy ones from adwdiabetes.com that come 100 for $1.19. Can't beat that price.
Click to expand...

Uh oh I don't know what size lancet came with the kit. I have to check. Thanks for all your advice :)
 
Stressedcatmom said:
I just ordered it. I'm getting it tomo. I couldnt get it same day. He seems less freaked out after he ate. Waiting for vet to see if I should give him his evening shot or not.

Thank you to everyone who responded to this thread. I'm really scared to home test, and I wanted to wait for the vet, but I don't want to be in a constant state of panic not home testing until I see the vet in 2 weeks.
Click to expand...
If you are nervous that the dose may be too high, give just 1 unit... that's the typical starting dose. 2 units is a little high for just starting. better to err on the side of caution since you aren't testing tonight.
 
Frank's Mom said:
Frank is newly diagnosed as well. He's not a friendly guy, but I've cut his treats completely out, so now the only way he gets a "treat" (which is really just the glycobalance dry food) is when we're testing at home. It wasn't difficult for me at all. I put him on the floor and kind of straddle him, prick his ear (no scary noise with the Relion lancet), make sure there's a decent drop of blood, insert the test strip into the Relion Prime, and test. The whole process takes about 60 seconds, honestly. It's so easy! I feel so much more in control of what's going on now, since I can see his progress at intervals during the day. The bit of control really helped me come to terms with the diagnosis, and gave me confidence that it is absolutely something that I can and will handle for him. I was even able to guess he'd be in the 400s at his visit today (which he was) and kind of thought they'd increase his dose (which they are).

As for the meter, the options are overwhelming, so like Rachel said above, just pick one. Look at the meter cost and the test strip costs, and that will help you go in the right direction. (I'm new to this testing thing, but probably go through about 4-8 strips a day, so consider that when you price the cost out.) If you're unsure on home testing, practice on yourself first, and you'll see how easy it is. Or get the meter and take it in to the vet with you next time you go, and have them show you how to use it.

My vet had me back today (diagnosis was last Wednesday)...I'm surprised yours is waiting that long. I had immediate noticeable improvement with Frank, but he was also in the middle of a DKA episode when I took him in, so that could explain the immediate improvement. But regardless, good luck with kitty. The amount of info is overwhelming, so just focus on one thing at a time!
Click to expand...

Thank you!!
 
Stressedcatmom said:
Thank you. I just ordered the meter. I absolutely loathe the idea of testing him, but I can't be in a constant state of panic not knowing how he's doing. Now I know why you all home test.
Click to expand...
it was the encouragement of the folks on this board that gave me the confidence to try it... and you know what? It really is no big deal. I use a cosmetic cotton pad behind the ear and just freehand poke the sweet spot which is the area on the very outside edge of the ear. if your cat is squirmy that flick the drop onto the back of your fingernail and test from there rather than holding the meter up to her ear. it literally takes a min from start to finish.
 
JanetNJ said:
If you are nervous that the dose may be too high, give just 1 unit... that's the typical starting dose. 2 units is a little high for just starting. better to err on the side of caution since you aren't testing tonight.
Click to expand...

You are like a wiz at this!!! I thought 2 was too high too, but vet said he's a big guy 15lbs. I also questioned not testing for 3 weeks. She said it was fine. I think I'm going to switch vets. The place is insanely expensive as well.
 
JanetNJ said:
it was the encouragement of the folks on this board that gave me the confidence to try it... and you know what? It really is no big deal. I use a cosmetic cotton pad behind the ear and just freehand poke the sweet spot which is the area on the very outside edge of the ear. if your cat is squirmy that flick the drop onto the back of your fingernail and test from there rather than holding the meter up to her ear. it literally takes a min from start to finish.
Click to expand...

That fingernail trick is brilliant! It won't harm the results?
 
I'm officially not a fan of this vet. The vet tech called and said to continue with the two units and to keep giving him the gabapentin for his back legs. The problem w that is when I give it to him he gets sleepy and I can't tell if it's his gluecose or pain meds. The vet tech told me I didn't have to start home testing and that if that's the route I want to take that I should email the doctor. Which I am. Like now
 
One more thing to add to your testing kit is a tube of neosporin ointment with pain relief. You can put a bit on his ears afterwards.

I know you're nervous but let me tell you, most of the time my cat doesn't react at all.... Not sure she always feels it. Sometimes she will wiggle her ear for a second, but that's it. She purrs through the process and loves the extra attention.
 
Stressedcatmom said:
I'm officially not a fan of this vet. The vet tech called and said to continue with the two units and to keep giving him the gabapentin for his back legs. The problem w that is when I give it to him he gets sleepy and I can't tell if it's his gluecose or pain meds. The vet tech told me I didn't have to start home testing and that if that's the route I want to take that I should email the doctor. Which I am. Like now
Click to expand...
I don't get vets that are anti test. My vet said basically some do test, most don't but that it's up to me. When I told her the next month I decided to test she was thrilled. A dr would never advise a parent to give their diabetic child insulin without testing....not sure why some vets expect pet owners to shoot blind.
 
Glad you ordered a meter! I think with the AT 2 you can use Freestyle Lite strips too to make it a bit cheaper.. @Kris & Teasel can tell you more about that one.

It's so scare at first, and then you realize...the cat is really fine. You're the one who is most upset! Gypsy came running at test time and just sat patiently waiting...she'd only fuss if I took too long!

I'd watch a few YouTube videos tonight of testing...that will help get your confidence up. You can do this!
 
I use Freestyle Lite test strips in my AT2 as well :). The important thing if you go that route is to do comparison tests between AT strips and FSL strips. @Tuxedo Mom uses them in her AT meter as well. Second thing is to keep the AT strips code when using FS strips. Don't use the FS test codes as they are for humans. I'm not as good as explaining lol.
 
Yong said:
Janet, do those lancets fit in the AT2 lancet device?
Click to expand...
They look to be the same size and it says they fit most devices so probably, but I haven't tried them in the device. I started freehand poking after week 2 and found that worked better for me.
 
Stressedcatmom said:
I'm officially not a fan of this vet. The vet tech called and said to continue with the two units and to keep giving him the gabapentin for his back legs. The problem w that is when I give it to him he gets sleepy and I can't tell if it's his gluecose or pain meds. The vet tech told me I didn't have to start home testing and that if that's the route I want to take that I should email the doctor. Which I am. Like now
Click to expand...
Gabapentin can cause lethargy.
 
Djamila said:
Hi @Stressedcatmom! How are you doing today? Did the meter arrive? Anything we can do to help?
Click to expand...

Hi guys. It arrived. I'm staring at it now. I'm catching up on all your posts. I think I'm going to try tonight so I'm sure I'll be posting in a panic. So you test right before the shot? And I read something somewhere that they can't eat before you test? How long do you wait after they eat to test?
 
What time/time zone will you be testing?
1. Two hours before that time, pick up all food so they don't eat during the two hour window before the test.
2. Test - start a little early since it may take a couple of tries.
3. Post here if you need dose advice.
4. Feed - cats need to eat before they get insulin
5. Shoot.
6. Pour yourself a glass of wine/cup of tea.
 
His shot is scheduled for 730 central time. I know about the food before the insulin, but I usually give him a wet food snack around 5 or so cuz he's starving

Thank you!!!
 
Freehand poke means that you take the little plastic lancet - the sharp part - and just use it in your hand, instead of using the little pen-like tool.

So use this (after you twist the round part off to expose the sharp part):
images

Don't use this:
accu-chek-softclix-lancet-pen-device.jpg
 
The reason is that the pen thing makes it hard to get the lancet aimed correctly for the edge of the ear. It's too easy to mis-align and hit the vein (not a big deal, but it will make a lot of blood), or to hit your finger instead of the ear. Also, the pen makes a click noise that scares some cats. If you just use the bare lancet it's silent and let's you aim more precisely.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top